Toy tank.



E. A. CLOONAN.

TO'Y TANK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.3, I918.

13%,2370 Patented Feb. 11, 19191 Y e e in .31. Elm EJ113111,

. proximately.

EDWARD A. GLOUNMT, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

TOY TANK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. llil, rote.

Application filed September 3, 191a. Serial No. 252,403.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, EDWARD A. CLooNAN, a citizen of the Uni-ted States of America, a resident of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Tanks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates .to improvements in toy tanks, the main object being to produce an attractive miniature auto-tank, capable of advancing on an irregular surface, and

readily climbing over obstructions in its path. A further objectv is to provide a toy of this kind consisting of a few simple and inexpensive elements combined, with each other to produce a substantial structure, resembling the large War tanks and having its 'various elements so arranged that a spring motor can be used to drive the toy over obstructions, inclines. and the like.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention comprises the novel con struction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying draw-' ings wherein is shown the preferred embodi ment of the invention; however, it is to be understood that the invention oomprehends changes, variationsand modifications which come within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Figure I is a plan View of a toy tank constructed in accordance with my invention, a portion of the housing being broken away to illustrate the driving mechanism.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation.

Fig. III is a vertical section taken apon the line TII III, Fig. 11.

The body of the toy preferably comprises a pair of sheet metal side members A, the lower front margins of which are inclined upwardly and forwardly, as shown at 1 in Fig. II, the rear top margins of said side members being inclined downwardly and rearwardly, as shown at 2. The extreme top and bottom margins of the side members A are preferably horizontal, and the horizontal top marginal. portion is preferably in advance ofthe horizontal bottom portion. 3 designates connecting webs interposed between the side members A and combined therewith to form a housing. These connecting webs may-be made of a single sheet the marginal guides are formed by bending the sheet metal to provide ohannel-sha1ped elements, each consisting of a web 4 and flanges 5 extending outwardly therefrom.

iach channel so formed extends along the horizontal top of a side member A and downwardly at the inclined ends thereof to points near the bottom of the structure. The horizontal lower margin of each side member A isflanged outwardly, to provide a track 4 forming a continuation of the web 4. A continuous track is thus formed around each side member A. In addition to serving as a combined track and guide for the endless driver, the elements 4,4 and 5 very materially reinforce or strengthen the toy structure.

. B designates endless flexible drivers preferably in the form of sprocket chains each surrounding one of the sidemembers A and conforming to the inclinations at the front and rear ends thereof. Each sprocket chain B is seated on the webs t and 4' of one of the side members A, and it travels between the guideflanges 5 which extend from the web 4. At the bottom of the structure, the webs or tracks 4: rest upon the chains B, and since these members 4 are not flanged downwardly at the sides of the chains, it will be understood that when the toy is traveling over a soft body, such as a carpet, the chains will perform their driving functions very effectively, and the lower portions of the side members will not frictionally engage the soft surface. To obtain the desired traction, especially on inclined surfaces and in traveling over obstructions, each sprocket chain B is provided with projections 6 which extend beyond the flanges at the inclined front margin of the structure.

The driving mechanism includes a pair of sprocket wheels 7 located at the extreme read ends of the side members and fixed to a shaft 8 provided with a gear wheel 9 meshing with a wheel 10 on a shaft 11. A pinion 12, fixed to the shaft 11, meshes large gear wheel 1 3, the latter being loosely mounted on a winding shaft 14. A metallic ing plates 17. The inner end of the spiral spring is fixed to the shaft 14, and a ratchet wheel 18 is also fixed to said shaft. 19 designates a pawl pivoted-to the'large gear wheel 13 and engaging the ratchet wheel 18. At the exterior of the housing a winding key 20 is fixed to the shaft 14.

In Windingthe spring 15, the shaft 14 is turned in a counter-clockwise direction, and the ratchet wheel 18 fixed to the shaft 14. turns independently of the pawl 19. At this time the sprocket chains B are preferably held and prevented from traveling around the tank body. When the toy is in motion, the power derived from spiral spring 15 causes the shaft 14 to turn in a clockwise direction, and. motion is then transmitted from ratchet Wheel 18 and pawl 19, to the large gear wheel 13 whereby the train of gearing is actuated to drive the sprocket wheels 7 meshing with the chains B. It will be noted that each sprocket chain travels in a continuous endless path, free from sharp corners or abrupt turns, and that the inclined chain-receiving guides at the rear of the structure are tangential to the sprocket wheels 7. The horizontal chainengaging face at the bottom of each side member A is also tangential with the adjacent sprocket wheel 7.

To enable the front portion of the tank to be lifted easily in climbing over obstructions, said front portion should be relatively light. All of the driving mechanism is therefore preferably located at the rear lower portion of the tank body, where its weight. will not materiallyretard the progress of the structure when the inclined front portion 1 engages an obstruction in the path of the toy. Very little power is required to lift the light front end of th tank, and after approximately two-thirds of the tank body has passed over an obstruction, the front of the traveling structure will drop in front of the obstruction. The body will then lie in an inclined position with its heavy rear end elevated, and since a continued forward movement will result in a downward movement of the heavy rear end, the inclined tank can be easily driven over the obstruction.

I claim:

1. A toy tank comprising a body provided with side members the lower front margins of which are inclined upwardly and forwardly, the rear top margins of said side members being inclined downwardly and rearwardly, channel-shaped guides having flanges whlch extend outwardly from the top, rear and front margins of said side members, a pair of endless sprocket chains each surrounding one of said side members, said sprocket chains being mounted in said channel-shaped guides and provided with "extensions which project beyond the guides at the inclined front margins of said side members, said body being mounted on and supported by said sprocket chains, sprocket wheels meshing with said sprocket chains and located at the rear lower portion of said body, an operating spring from which power is transmitted to said sprocket wheels, and a manually operated winding device whereby power is stored in said spring.

2. A toy tank comprising a body provided with sheet metal side members the lower front margins of which areinclined upwardly and forwardly, the rear top marf gins of said sheet metal sid members being inclined downwardly and rearwardly, sheet metal webs connecting said side members to form a housing, guides extending outwardly from said sheet metal side members, a pair of endless sprocket chains each surrounding one of said side members and conforming to the inclinations thereof, portions of said sprocket chains being extended from the inclined front portions of said side members, said body being mounted on and supported by said sprocket chains and the latter being mounted in said guides, an

elastic operating member mounted in said body, means for transmitting movement from said elastic operating member to said sprocket chains, and a manually operated winding device whereby power is stored in said elastic operating member.

' 3. A toy tank comprising a body provided with sheet metal side members the lower front margins of which are inclined upwardly and forwardly, the rear top margins of said sheet metal side members being inclined downwardly and rearwardly, the rear, top and front margins of each of said side members being bent outwardly to provide a chain-receiving web and guide flanges at opposite sides thereof, the lower margin of each side member being provided with a web forming a continuation of said chainreceiving web, a pair of endless sprocket chains each surrounding one of said side members and conforming to the inclinations thereof, said sprocket chains. being engaged with said webs and provided with projections which extend from the inclined front portions of said side members, sheet metal webs interposed between said side members and cooperating therewith to form a housing, the said sheet metal webs being provided with flexible tongues which extend through' the side members and which are bent to connect the elements of the housing, and driving mechanism mounted in the rear lower portion of said body so as to serve as a weight, the front portion of the body being relatively light, said driving mechanism comprising a pair of sprocket wheels located at the rear lower end of said body and meshing with said sprocket chains, a spiral spring adjacent to said sprocket Wheels, a shaft to which said pair of sprocket wheels is fixed, speed increasing gearing whereby motion is transmitted from said spiral spring to said shaft, and a manually operated spring winder whereby power is stored in said spiral spring.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I hereunto affix my signature;

EDWARD A. GLOQNAN. 

